Never the Same
by Misfit Muse
Summary: A new trouble arises in the Kanto Region, and this time no one seems to be able to do anything about it. Amidst all the chaos, a stoic psychic and a lonely nature enthusiast decide to work together to stop the budding evil. But can they stop the budding feelings they develop for each other? Or will the two women give in and watch their love blossom?
1. Chapter 1

AN: So this idea just came randomly to me right after I discovered the Erika/Sabrina pairing. I hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon / Pocket Monsters. I just own all the games and enjoy watching the early seasons of the show.

* * *

Chapter One

Sabrina pinched the bridge of her nose in agitation. She had been forced to battle five trainers in a row today, and she could already see a sixth one making their way past her useless underlings. The little weaklings had probably been slacking off on their training again. Sabrina would be sure to fix that.

She sighed inwardly as the trainer approached. He seemed innocent enough, with a boyish face and messy blonde hair. He wore baggy green pants, a grey t-shirt, a black wristband, and a white scarf. Sabrina readied herself for a battle. She sensed that he only had four pokemon with him, much to her relief. It wouldn't last long.

"So," she began her dialogue, "I suppose you want to challenge me for the Marsh badge, right?"

To her surprise, the boy shook his head in the negative. This threw her off guard. This trainer had fought his way past all of her traps and trainers, only to not challenge the leader? What was wrong with this kid?

Sabrina, much to her credit, managed to maintain a calm exterior. "No? Then may I ask why you are here before me?"

The boy smiled warmly, then shrugged.

_Okay_, Sabrina thought to herself, _this kid is just weird_. Still, she couldn't deny that she was a little curious as to what in the world he was thinking. So, with this in mind she used her psychic abilities to delve into his thoughts.

"_I came to warn you." _a voice rang out in her mind.

The gym leader stared at the boy for a moment. Gone was his smile, replaced by a look of determination in his light green eyes.

"You wish to warn me?" Sabrina inquired, surprise coloring her tone, "What threat could possibly slip past my detection?"

"_Your powers of the mind are unparalleled, I know. This is why I came to you."_ his thoughts replied.

"What do you mean? Why do you not speak to me directly?" Sabrina demanded. She'd already had a headache before this kid showed up, and now it was starting to develop into a nasty migraine. It would be a lot less painful for her if he tried to make more sense.

"_I'm really sorry. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I cannot speak. I figured that you would be the only person in Kanto who'd be able to hear me out."_ At this, the boy smiled cheerfully.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow. What could have happened to him that would take his voice away? She could easily sense that he was truthful in his words and good in his intentions. She pinched the bridge of her nose again and sighed.

"What do you need me to do, then?" she asked tiredly.

The boy nodded enthusiastically and quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pokeball. He placed it carefully into her hands, and took a step back.

"_Please, protect it." _his thoughts pleaded, _"That's all I can ask of you right now."_

Sabrina stared at the pokeball in her hands, feeling a gentle aura emanating from within the small orb. A strange emotion welled up within her. She felt herself already bonding with the peculiar creature within.

"Very well," Sabrina said, holding the pokeball close to her chest, "I shall keep this pokemon. It will not come to any harm under my protection."

The boy's smile grew into a full-blown grin.

"_Thank you, thank you! I knew you were the right person for the job!"_

Sabrina grimaced at his over enthusiasm. She was definitely going to need an ice pack for her head later. "You sure are a cheerful little kid aren't you?"

The boy pouted. _"I'm not a little kid! I'm thirteen!"_

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Yeah sure, whatever. What's your name, anyway?"

"_Oh! Sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Nocturne."_

"That's quite an odd name." Sabrina commented.

"_Well I'm an odd person."_

"No argument there." Sabrina sighed.

"_Hey! That's mean!"_

"Whatever."

Nocturne sighed silently, looking at Sabrina with slight exasperation. _"Anyway, you need to be careful. Some bad stuff is about to happen."_

Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"_Just be on your guard, okay?"_

"Sure thing, Mr. Vague-Answers."

The boy ignored her sarcasm and smiled cheerfully. _"Well then, I'll be going now. Thanks for helping me, Miss Sabrina!"_

"No problem, kid." Sabrina said, with the faintest of smiles.

And just like that, he was gone.

* * *

Back at home for the day, Sabrina let herself fall back onto her big comfy chair. It sat by the window and looked out over a small lake. The sun was beginning to set, causing the water to seem like red hot glass. The gym leader loved this time of day, when the world was tinted with the hues of twilight. It almost seemed like another world entirely.

The pokeball Nocturne had given her rested in her lap, as if patiently waiting for her to decide to open it. Sabrina sighed.

"Now's a good a time as any, I suppose." she murmured, picking it up.

She pressed the small center button and watched as a small figure bathed in white light arose from the capsule.

It was a small, humanoid pokemon, with flowing light green hair that resembled a musical ledger. It wore a little black dress, and what appeared to be a sort of microphone extended towards it's mouth from the side of it's head, resembling the kind that some of the idols wore. It also had large glassy blue eyes that were round and naïve looking.

Sabrina inwardly thought that this had to be the cutest pokemon she'd ever seen. She quickly removed her pokedex from her pocket to learn more about it.

"…_beep, boop…Meloetta, The Melody Pokemon. It is believed to be both a psychic type and a normal type pokemon. The melodies sung by Meloetta have the ability to influence emotions. Few people have ever witnessed this pokemon, therefore it is mostly considered a myth by many…boop, beep…."_

"Meloetta, is it?" Sabrina wondered aloud.

The little pokemon smiled and nodded cheerfully, beginning to float around through the air. It hummed happily in a lilting voice.

Sabrina smiled. "Well aren't you a cute little thing?" she held out her hand, "My name's Sabrina. It's a pleasure to meet you, Meloetta."

The little pokemon giggled and shyly shook Sabrina's hand with both of it's own.

"Are you hungry, little one?" the gym leader asked gently. The pokemon did a little backflip in response.

Sabrina chuckled. "Alright then, I guess it's dinner time then, isn't it?"

Together they both made their way into the kitchen, allowing the peaceful time to wash over them. For they both knew they would need to enjoy it while they could.

* * *

Please Review and let me know what you think! : )


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Yay! Two chapters in one day! Don't get used to it, lolz. Enjoy~

* * *

Chapter Two

When Sabrina awoke the next morning, she found that Meloetta had cuddled up beneath her chin over the course of the night. The gym leader allowed herself a gentle smile.

_Really, what a child,_ she thought fondly, sitting up slowly so as not to disturb the sleeping creature.

Suppressing a small yawn, Sabrina made herself a cup of herbal tea and turned on the morning news. This was the daily routine she used to prepare herself for facing the world.

However, what the dark-haired psychic saw on the news that morning shocked her. This was it, this was what Nocturne had warned her about.

Well, if there was one thing Sabrina refused to do, it was to stand by and act helpless. No, she was going to stop things before they became catastrophic. She called the still sleeping Meloetta into its pokeball, grabbed her black coat and began her journey away from Saffron City.

That same morning Erika, the renowned gym leader of Celadon city, was preparing to take her usual morning stroll, when one of her students ran up to her.

"M-Miss Erika! Have you watched the news this morning?" she asked frantically.

Erika frowned. "What has upset you in such a way?"

Tears began to well up in the little girl's eyes as she looked at her mentor. "T-the gym leaders in the other cities! They've gone missing! A-and their gyms have been destroyed!"

Erika's eyes widened in shock. "What? When did this happen? Are they all missing?"

The student quickly shook her head and sniffled. "N-no. It all started yesterday morning. Pewter City was the first to be attacked, then Cerulean in the afternoon. Now this morning they're saying Vermillion has been struck too!"

Erika let her student's words sink in. If Lieutenant Surge was defeated and taken, then these people were tough. The Vermillion city gym leader was like a big, stubborn brick wall.

The mentor turned back to her student. It wasn't hard for her to put two and two together. If recent patterns still applied, then Celadon City would be the next target on the list.

"Evacuate everyone and their pokemon from the gym. Make sure that they find a safe place, please."

The girl looked at the gym leader with a mix of sadness and awe. "But M-Miss Erika what about¾"

"I will protect my city and my gym." she said firmly. "That is the responsibility of a gym leader, is it not?"

The student nodded, leaving to go carry out Erika's orders. The gym leader, on the other hand, let out a shaky breath and stared at her hands. They were trembling.

_Is it weak of me to feel afraid?_ Erika wondered, tucking her hands back into the sleeves of her kimono. She decided that a walk in the outside gardens would be beneficial. She needed to clear her mind if she wanted to come up with a feasible plan to stop whatever threat that was approaching her domain.

* * *

The blossoming flowers were as beautiful as ever, and Erika couldn't help the delighted smile that surfaced as a result. She truly loved nature.

Suddenly, something flew towards her and hit her square in the chest. She was knocked to the ground by the force of the impact. She winced and sat up, causing whatever had hit her to fall into her lap.

She soon discovered it was a pokemon. If she wasn't mistaken it was Celebi, the legendary Guardian of the Forest. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was hurt. Little cuts and bruises covered its tiny body.

"Oh dear, you poor thing!" she exclaimed, gingerly taking it into her arms and holding it close. "Allow me to take you back inside the gym, I believe I have some full restores there."

Celebi let out a weak cry before relaxing into her arms. Erika quickened her pace, wondering what could've happened to leave the poor little creature in such a state.

After carefully applying the full restore, she placed the now sleeping Celebi onto a bed of flowers to rest. They were at the heart of the gym, and Erika couldn't help but wonder if Celebi's arrival had been a mere preamble to what was approaching.

_Crash!_

One moment, Erika was silently watching the slumbering Celebi, the next, the glass roof of the gym was shattered and Erika found herself thrown to the ground. A metallic restraint constricted her, binding her arms at her sides. Suddenly, an electric jolt tore through her spine and forced her face to fall forwards into the grass.

"Well, well, looks like we got lucky today." a rugged voice said from above.

"Sure does!" another voice replied. "We got the gym leader, and we found that pesky pokemon. Easy as pie too! Our seniors had a difficult time capturing that Surge guy, I heard."

Erika looked up to see two men standing over her, clothed in red trench coats. One had a beard. She struggled to speak with the metallic ropes constricting her lungs. "Why…are you…doing this…?" she demanded feebly.

The two men stared down at her curiously. "Hey, this one's kind of cute…" the bearded one mused.

"You're right!" said the other, grabbing Erika by the chin and forcing it upwards to get a closer look. "Maybe I could play with her a little bit before we take her back to the boss…"

The bearded man smirked. "Only if you share." At this they both laughed, and Erika felt a genuine sense of fear rush over her. She struggled against her restraint, but the device did not even budge. If anything it seemed to grip her even more tightly.

"Re-Release me…this instant!" she commanded in a shaky voice.

The men both laughed at her weak request. "I love it when they fight back!" the bearded one exclaimed.

"Yeah, feisty!" the other agreed, reaching down to undo the top of Erika's kimono. No…it couldn't be…they were actually going to violate her! Erika frantically began struggling again, trying to reach her pokeballs, but to no avail. _My first time…_Erika thought helplessly, _Someone please, anyone! Help me!_

"Gallade! Use Psycho Cut!" a voice shouted. Erika knew that voice, it was familiar and somehow comforting.

The two men leapt backwards as a blade of pure energy sliced through her bindings. She was free to move now, but her body felt slightly weakened. Nevertheless, Erika forced herself to her feet. She'd be darned if she were going to let these two get away with their intolerable actions.

She must've risen too quickly however, because her knees gave way. She would've fallen back onto the ground if not for a pair of strong slender arms holding her shoulders to steady her. A faint scent of herbal tea and lavender enveloped her, and Erika felt comforted by it.

"Are you alright, Erika?" a soft voice asked.

Erika turned and smiled gratefully at her savior. "I'll be fine thanks to you, Sabrina."

Sabrina nodded and turned to glare at the two men, who by now looked pretty pissed off.

"Who the hell is this bitch?!" the bearded one spat angrily.

The other, however, looked slightly unnerved. "Wait a second…isn't she the leader of Saffron?"

"Is she? Good! We'll take 'em both!" the bearded one declared.

They both sent out their pokemon. The bearded man had a Toxicroak, Machoke, and Muk, while the other man had a Rhydon, Golem, and Electabuzz. Six pokemon total.

Sabrina smirked. "Shall we team up, Erika? I doubt we'd need more than one pokemon each."

Erika nodded, face set in determination. "Alright then."

Erika called forth her Lilligant. Sabrina kept out her Gallade.

"Are you trying to make fun of us?!" the men shouted.

Sabrina glared at them. "You really don't know anything, do you? Or perhaps you've forgotten who we are?"

"What are you getting at?" the bearded man demanded.

"I am Sabrina, 'The Master of _Psychic_ Pokemon'." she stated, "And this girl here is Erika, 'The _Nature_-Loving Princess'. Do you get it now?"

The bearded man glared, while the other seemed to realize something. "Uh…maybe we should…" he began shakily.

"I don't really care what you two are!" the bearded man yelled, "I'm going to break you!"

"Very well." Sabrina said with a sigh. "Gallade! Use Psychic!"

Suddenly, all of the bearded man's pokemon flew up into the air, only to be slammed back into the ground. All of them had fainted. He looked outraged.

"W-What?! How did you¾"

"You really should learn about type match ups. Your poison and fighting type pokemon are no match for my psychic types."

Erika took this as her cue. "Lilligant! Use Petal Dance!"

A beautiful array of flower petals flew about the room, swirling faster and faster until the other man's pokemon were swept up into the floral vortex and slammed into the walls. They all fainted as well.

"And your rock and electric types don't fair too well against my grass types, either." Erika stated.

"I-I don't believe this!" the bearded man yelled, "Beaten by two women!?"

They both returned their pokemon to their pokeballs.

"This isn't over." they said threateningly, throwing down smoke bombs.

After the haze cleared, they were both gone. Erika allowed herself to drop down onto her knees, the exhaustion of the whole ordeal finally taking its toll. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. "They'll be back." Erika said quietly and with a hint of unease.

"And we'll be ready." Sabrina replied firmly. "I need to make them pay for what they did to you. Or almost did."

Erika blushed when she realized that her kimono was still a little messed up at the top, revealing a good portion of her collarbone. Then she felt the warmth brought on by Sabrina's words. _She's almost like a prince, isn't she?_

"Thank you again, Sabrina." Erika said shyly, "For saving me."

Sabrina smiled softly at her. "Of course."

* * *

So? What do you think? : )


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